The Top Rated Pressure Cookers

Pressure cookers are efficient cooking devices — they are up to 70% more efficient than conventional pots. The lids of pressure cookers are built to completely seal the pot so that the contents can boil easily inside the pot. Food cooks faster because the liquid inside rises to a higher temperature before boiling. Cooking times can be reduced by a factor of three or four. Choose a stainless steel pressure cooker instead of aluminum one because the stainless steel does not interact with the food.

Fagor Duo Pressure Cooker ($100)

Cook’s Illustrated magazine has the most reliable review of pressure cooker — they put six pressure cookers through rigorous tests. They gave top rating to the Fagor Duo Pressure Cooker, saying this cooker works splendidly, and has an easy-to-use locking mechanism. Over eighty reviewers on Amazon gave this cooker an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars.

Kuhn Rikon Duromatic Pressure Cooker ($219)

In an interview in the Washington Post, Lorna Sass, author of three pressure cooker cookbooks says she recommends Kuhn Rikon’s Duromatic cookers for their integrated lid-locking and their excellent safety-release system. Here’s what the New York Times said about them:

The Kuhn Rikon Duromatic, made in Switzerland, lived up to its reputation as the Mercedes-Benz of pressure cookers. It purred, came up to pressure quickly, was easy to regulate and opened and closed smoothly…The instruction manual and recipe booklet were exceptionally good.

The most popular size of Kuhn Rikon Duromatic lines is the 7-Liter Pot, its available from Amazon for $219.

Presto Pressure Cooker ($66)

If you are looking for an inexpensive cooker, you might consider a Presto pressure cooker. It comes with a 12-year warranty and features include a locking handle and pressure-release indicator. Over 200 Amazon reviewers gave this cooker an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars.